The Peacocks split their Northern Sun Conference double header with the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday in Fayette. UMC won game one 4-2, but UIU rebounded with an offensive 17-7 victory in seven innings in game two. With the split, Upper Iowa moves to 4-15 overall and 2-6 in the NSIC, while Minnesota Crookston is now 12-15 overall and 4-4 in the conference.
The first game was controlled on the mound as each team was kept from crossing home plate through the first five innings. Minnesota Crookston scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning off reliever
Race Geesink. The inning started with a dropped fly ball in the left field that allowed the Golden Eagles to start the frame with a runner on second. The two runs scored on a single by Ben Thoma and a sacrifice fly by Jack Peppel.
The Peacocks answered with an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the sixth to pull within one, 2-1. Back-to-back singles by Nicholas Vite and
Jake Hilmer around a fielding error that allowed Vite to advance to second in front of Hilmer's run-scoring hit.
In the seventh inning, the Golden Eagles added a pair of insurance runs on two hits, an intentional walk and a hit batter to get ahead 4-1.
Upper Iowa rallied in their final at bats in the seventh. After a pair of ground outs, an infield error allowed the inning to continue and
Cael Luzum followed with a RBI-double to right centerfield to cut the margin to two. Thanks to a walk, the Peacocks got the tying run on base and the winning run to the plate, but a ground ball ended the comeback.
Jake Osowski (3-0) earned the win with 6.2 innings of work allowing two runs on five hits and six strikeouts. Isaac Roers picked up the save (1) by getting the final ground ball out.
Nicholas Pica threw well in his start for a no-decision shutting the Golden Eagles out for four innings on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Geesink (1-1) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs, two earned, on five hits and two strikeouts in his three innings.
At the plate, Vite recorded two of UIU's five hits off Osowski with a single and a double.
Both Brad Morris and Jake Hjelle picked up two hits for the Golden Eagles.
UIU opened the scoring in the second game with a monstrous eight-run, nine-hit effort that was aided by three Golden Eagle errors. The Peacocks sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame runs on four hits in the bottom of the first as they sent eight batters to the plate. Highlighting the inning was a double in Hull's second at bat and runs batted in by seven different Peacocks.
UIU added three runs on five hits in the second inning to push their lead to 11-0.
Tanner Stein and Hull each drive in runs in the inning with a single and double, respectively.
Minnesota Crookston bounced back with six runs in the top of the third. The inning was fueled by three errors on the Peacock infield, three walks, a hit batter and one hit. The hit was a grand slam by Thoma to clear the bases. The big inning pulled UMC within five, 11-6.
The Golden Eagles scratched a run closer in the fourth with two outs when Hjelle singled and Thoma followed with a deep double off the wall in right centerfield.
The Peacocks pushed their lead back to six, 13-7, in the bottom of the fourth when
Ryan Hull recorded his fourth hit of the game with a home run to left centerfield.
Jerry Garcia scored on the homer after knocking a single to center.
UIU added another run in the fifth inning after Hilmer singled, stole second base and advanced to third on an overthrow.
Samuel Grushkin plated Hilmer with a line drive single to left field.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Peacocks extended their lead back to double digits, 17-7, with three runs on three hits highlighted by a RBI-ground out from
Ethan Sawyer and a two-run single to center by Grushkin. Both RBIs came with the bases loaded.
Reliever
Jason Katz sat down the Golden Eagles in order in the seventh to end the game due to the NSIC run-rule. Katz (1-0) got the win after five innings of relief; the southpaw allowed one run on four hits.
Joey Greco (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs on seven hits after getting just two outs to start the game.
UIU recorded season-highs in both runs (17) and hits (22). Four Peacocks, Hull, Hilmer, Grushkin and Garcia, registered four hits apiece in the game.
Tanner Stein and
Cael Luzum each picked up two hits as well. Hull and Grushkin both drove in four runs; Hull accounted for all three of UIU's extra base hits with a pair of doubles and a home run.
Upper Iowa has posted a 2-3 record over the last three days at Robertson Woods Field with a pair of 10-run wins and three close losses. The Peacocks outscored Northern State University and Minnesota Crookston 39-24 while registering 54 hits and 10 stolen bases in the five games. The pitching staff has posted an ERA of 2.84 with 29 strikeouts during the home stretch with 12 earned runs allowed in 38 innings on the mound.
Upper Iowa will head north this weekend to face Minot State University in Minot, N.D. The Peacocks and Beavers will line up for a double header on Saturday, Apr. 2 and a single, nine-inning game on Sunday, Apr. 3.
